Battle of Pensacola (1814)
United Kingdom Creek | combatant1 = | commander2 = Mateo González Manrique | commander1 = Andrew Jackson | strength2 = British: ~100 infantry,Heidler, p45Nicolas, p289 states 60 Marine infantry, 180 Red Sticks, and 12 Royal Marine Artillery unknown artillery, 1 fort, 1 coastal battery Spanish: ~500 infantry, unknown artillery, 1 fort Creek: unknown warriors | strength1 = ~4,000 infantry, unknown artillery | casualties2 = ~15 killed or wounded | casualties1 = ~7 killed and 11 woundedTucker (ed), p570 | campaignbox = }} The Battle of Pensacola was a battle in the War of 1812 in which American forces fought against the kingdoms of Britain and Spain, and Creek Native Americans allied with the British. The American commander, General Andrew Jackson, led his infantry against British and Spanish forces controlling the city of Pensacola in Spanish Florida. The British abandoned the city and it was surrendered to Jackson by the Spanish. Background After defeating the Red Stick Creeks at the Battle of Horseshoe Bend, there was a migration of refugees to Spanish West Florida. The presence of the Creek refugees had motivated Captain George Woodbine to travel to Pensacola in July 1814. Woodbine's liaisons with the refugees and the Spanish governor of Pensacola would subsequently lead to the British having a military presence at Pensacola from 23 August 1814,Marshall, p65 initially occupying Fort San Miguel,Mahon, p347 quoting a letter from Cochrane to the Admiralty dated 25 August 1814: 'Nicolls, 3 other officers, a surgeon, 11 non-commissioned officers, and 97 enlisted men landed and occupied Fort San Miguel. Besides their own arms, they carried 3 field pieces, 1000 stands of arms, and 300 British uniforms for the Indians.' and the town itself. The potency of the British force, and its perceived ability to see off any American forces were leveraged by Edward Nicolls in his negotiations with the Spanish. The measure of perceived potency was somewhat reduced, in the aftermath of the failed attack on Fort Bowyer in September 1814. Heidler, p41 'At the end of July, he Woodbine traveled to Pensacola.. to reassure Governor Manrique that Britain could repel an American invasion'Heidler, p44 Manrique 'believed that armed and fed Red Sticks would deter any aggressions the Americans contemplated.'Tucker (ed), p245 'Manrique feared an imminent American descent on that place and now agreed that the British might garrison both the town and forts' Just prior to the arrival of the Americans, as relations with the Spanish governor deteriorated,Tucker (ed), p245 the British force left the town and was consolidated in the outlying Fort San Carlos, and at the Santa Rosa Punta de Siguenza battery (later rebuilt as Fort Pickens).Tucker (ed), p569 General Andrew Jackson planned to drive the British from the Spanish city of Pensacola in Spanish Florida, then march to New Orleans to defend the city against any British attack.Tucker (ed), p341 Jackson's forces had diminished due to desertions.Heidler, p45 Jackson was forced to wait for Brigadier-General John Coffee and his volunteers to arrive, before moving against the city. Jackson and Coffee liaised at Pierce's Stockade in Alabama.Paterson, p163 In early November Jackson assembled a force of up to 4,000 men.Tucker (ed), p570 On November 2, he moved out towards Pensacola, reaching the city on November 6.Eaton, p145 Jackson first sent Major Henri Piere as a messenger under a white flag of truce to the Spanish governor, Mateo Gonzáles Manrique. However, the messenger approached the city and was fired upon by the garrison in Fort San Miguel. Eventually a second messenger, this time a Spaniard,Eaton, p146 was sent through and offered the demand that after the British evacuated the forts, Americans would garrison them until relieved by Spanish troops which would serve only to ensure Spain's neutrality in the conflict. Manrique denied these demands even though he had no more than 500 soldiers in Pensacola.Tucker (ed), p245 Battle At dawn, Jackson had 3,000 troops marching on the city.Eaton, p145 The Americans flanked the city from the east to avoid fire from the forts and marched along the beachfront,Eaton, p148 but the sandy beach made it difficult to move up the artillery. The attack went ahead nonetheless and was met with resistance in the center of town by a line of infantry supported by a battery. However, the Americans charged and captured the battery.Eaton, p148 Governor Manrique appeared with a white flag and agreed to surrender on any terms Jackson put forward if only he would spare the town. Fort San Miguel was surrendered on November 7, but Fort San Carlos, which lay 14 miles to the west, remained in British hands.Eaton, p149 Jackson planned to capture the fort by storm the next day, but it was blown up and abandoned before Jackson could move on it and the remaining British fled PensacolaEaton, p151 along with the British squadron (comprising (18 guns), (18 guns; Capt. Umfreville), (38 guns; Capt. Gordon), (12 guns) and (20 guns; Capt. Spencer).Heidler, p46 A number of Spanish accompanied the retreating British forces Heidler, p47ADM 37/4636 HMS Childers ship muster. 102 Spaniards embarked, 'by order of Capt Jordan'ADM 37/4795 HMS Sophie ship muster. 149 Spanish subsequently disembarked at St Joseph's Bay on 30 November 1814ADM 37/5438 HMS Seahorse ship muster. Embarked: 4x Indian warriors (1211 to 1215 in the muster), Spaniards (1170 to 1206)ADM 37/4960 HMS Shelburne ship muster. Embarked: Spaniards (41 to 83)ADM 37/5250 HMS Carron ship muster. Embarked: Spaniards (193 to 224) and did not return to Pensacola until 1815. Letter from Admiral Cochrane to Admiral Malcolm composed on the Tonnant, off Mobile 17 February 1815 'The Spanish Governor at Pensacola, having requested that a part of the Spanish Trops removed to the Bluff, when the American Army attacked ...you will send a troop ship to Appalachicola to receive them on board, and land them in the harbour of Pensacola'. This is within WO 1/143 folio 19, which can be downloaded for a fee from the UK National Archives websiteSugden, p296 Aftermath The battle had forced the British out of Pensacola and left the Spanish in control, angered by the British, who had fled in such a hurry once Jackson's force had attacked, for their destruction of the fortifications and the removal of part of the Spanish garrison.Hyde, p97 Jackson suspected the squadron which had left Pensacola harbor would return to strike at Mobile, Alabama.Eaton, p152 Jackson sent out to Mobile, and upon reaching the townTucker (ed), p569 he received requests to hurry to the defense of New Orleans.Heidler, p46 American casualties were negligible; seven dead and eleven wounded. The Spanish and British suffered at least 15 dead or wounded.Tucker (ed), p570 Lieutenant Colonel Edward Nicolls states there were no deaths among the British, and is of the opinion that the Americans suffered 15 fatalities and numerous casualties. The primary source used by Nicolas is a letter from Edward Nicolls to Lord Bathurst dated 5 May 1817, UK National Archives reference WO 1/344, folio 421. 'We retreated fighting from the place without the loss of a man... and causing a loss to the enemy of 15 killed and some officers & privates wounded in the face of 5000 men and 5 pieces of cannon, with only 700 men the Anglo-Spanish force' The purpose of the letter was for Nicolls to be reimbursed for expenses in relation to Nicolls entertaining the Creek indians. Four active infantry battalions of the Regular Army (1-1 Inf, 2-1 Inf, 2-7 Inf and 3-7 Inf) perpetuate the lineages of American units (elements of the old 3rd, 39th and 44th Infantry Regiments) that were at the Battle of Pensacola. See also *First Battle of Fort Bowyer Notes References * Eaton, John Henry & Reid, John (1828) The life of Major General Andrew Jackson. McCarty & Davis * Heidler, David Stephen & Jeanne T (2003): Old Hickory's War: Andrew Jackson and the Quest for Empire. Louisiana State University Press. ISBN 0807128671 * Hyde, Samuel C. (2004): A Fierce and Fractious Frontier: The Curious Development of Louisiana's Florida Parishes, 1699–2000. Louisiana State University Press. ISBN 0807129232 * Mahon, John K. (1991): The War Of 1812. De Capo Press. ISBN 0306804298 * Marshall, John (1829): Royal Naval Biography. Longman, Hurst, Rees, Orme, and Brown. * Nicolas, Paul Harris (1845): Historical Record of the Royal Marine Forces. Volume 2, 1805–1842 * * * Tucker, Spencer (ed). (2012): The Encyclopedia of the War of 1812: A Political, Social, and Military History. ABC-CLIO. ISBN 1851099565 External links * Royal Marine forces in Florida in 1814 Category:1814 in the United States Category:Battles of the War of 1812 Category:Spanish Florida Category:Andrew Jackson Category:History of Pensacola, Florida Category:Battles involving Spain Category:Battles involving the United Kingdom Category:Battles involving the United States